https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The Stuff Toppers Are Made Of

The Bihar Public Service Commission’s Combined Competitive Exam (CCE) topper Om Prakash Gupta has his priorities clearly laid out – coveted IAS post and development of Bihar, Chinmai Sinha found out
Indian Masterminds Stories

He had stars in his eyes But no money in his wallet to fulfil his dream of making it to Indian Administrative Service (IAS). He had to work for five years to become financially independent. In his first attempt last year Om Prakash Gupta topped the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam. But, he is not taking it up immediately as he has already qualified for UPSC Civil Services (Mains) and would rather have a go at the interview first. 

Mr Gupta appeared for the UPSC civil service exam twice but couldn’t make through it as in his first attempt he couldn’t clear the prelims and interview in the second. While talking to the Indian Masterminds, he said, “I am currently focusing on my UPSC civil service interview and I want to fully devote to that.”

BIHAR IS THE PRIPORITY

Aiming to deliver quality service to people, he wants to aim towards ending unemployment in Bihar. In 2008 he passed the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) entrance test in his first attempt. After completing his studies, Mr Gupta taught students for five years, till 2017.

In his conversation with a news agency, he said that it was in 2017 that he decided to fully devote himself to prepare for CCE. He said, “I want to break the vicious cycle of unemployment in Bihar…I qualified for IIT in first attempt in 2008 then I worked as teacher for 5 years. I quit teaching in 2017 to devote full-time to the preparations.”

The 30-year-old said, “I was confident to clear the exam but emerging as a topper is certainly unexpected. I want to work towards improving the digital infrastructure in Bihar. I am absolutely thrilled and more determined to clear the UPSC too this time.”

DIDN’T TAKE COACHING HIMSELF

In 2012, Mr Gupta graduated from IIT Roorkee and started coaching in engineering institutes, alternatively in Patna and Delhi, to support his family. 

He never joined a coaching institute for his preparation and after staying in Delhi for a year he returned to his state after gathering enough information of study materials needed for his preparation. 

THE PREPARATION

He said in an interview with the Indian Express, “each day during my stay in Delhi, I talked to as many aspirants as I could to understand their strategy and study patterns. I was an amateur then and every candidate’s experience was helpful in creating my own strategy. I did not join any coaching apart from doing the test series during my preparation.”

Mr. Prakash is a graduate from IIT and also topped the BPSC

“Coming to Delhi was the first step of my preparation journey but I knew that I could only prepare in the comfort of my home. Therefore, I went back to my village after one year,” he added.

ONLY NCERT BOOK NOT SUFFIENCT 

As against to the opinions of many, Mr Gupta suggests against NCERT books for BPSC or even UPSC. He read some standard books, vision IAS current affairs magazine, and watched some YouTube channels as part of his preparation.

“The standard books we read during the preparation period cover almost all the information available in NCERT books.  Therefore, a candidate should not read the NCERTs more than once,” he says.

THE BOOKS

The BPSC topper suggests students to do multiple readings of the standard books and not follow multiple books for one subject. He also stresses on the importance of solving mock papers as one can evaluate their preparation for it.

However, he even recommends books like Indian Polity by M Laxmikant, A Brief History of Modern India by Spectrum books, Environment by Shankar IAS, Nitin Singhania’s Handwritten for Art and Culture, Mrunal Pandey’s YouTube lessons on economy, and Lucent for science and technology. According to him these books could help students aspiring to qualify the Civil service exam. 


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Ministry of Environment
Environment Ministry Clarifies Petrol Vehicle Tender, Cites E-Vehicle Flexibility
Bokaro Steel Plant
PESB Selects Priya Ranjan to Head Bokaro Steel Plant, SAIL’s Key Production Unit
REC Limited wins ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC (DNA) Awards
REC Limited Bags ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC Awards
GAINS 2025 GRSE
From AI to Green Energy: Defence Secy RK Singh Launches GAINS 2025 to Drive Shipbuilding Innovation at GRSE
Bhupendra Patel CM Gujarat
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel Approves Rs 489.95 Crore Grant for Construction of 2,055 New Gram Panchayat Houses
Manoj Kumar Mohapatra
IFS Manoj Kumar Mohapatra Appointed as India’s Ambassador to Moldova, Concurrently Serving in Romania
Vishnu Deo Sai CM
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai Showcases State’s Potential During Japan Visit - Details Inside
Pushkar Singh Dhami CM
Uttarakhand Strengthens Power and Housing Infrastructure Ahead of Kumbh 2027 - Details Inside
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Ministry of Environment
Environment Ministry Clarifies Petrol Vehicle Tender, Cites E-Vehicle Flexibility
Bokaro Steel Plant
PESB Selects Priya Ranjan to Head Bokaro Steel Plant, SAIL’s Key Production Unit
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT